ELON, N.C. – Elon University head baseball coach Mike Kennedy announced his club’s 2018 schedule on Monday, Dec. 4, as the Phoenix plays 37 games at the friendly confines of Latham Park during its 56-game slate this season. The schedule features 11 contests versus teams that participated in last year’s NCAA Tournament.
“We are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for our club,” Kennedy said. “We are particularly excited about the home portion of our schedule and the chance for our players to play in front of our fans. Along with the always tough CAA portion of the schedule, there are a few new faces in Maryland and Kansas State along with the chance to renew old rivalries with Appalachian State and Georgia Southern. This is a very challenging schedule that I know our players are looking forward to.”
Elon, which will play its first nine games at home, will open the 2018 campaign on Friday, Feb. 16 with a three-game home series with Penn State.
The home non-conference slate also includes dates with Appalachian State, Campbell, East Carolina, Hartford, High Point, Kansas State, Liberty, Marshall, Maryland, North Carolina A&T, UNCG, Radford, Rider and Wake Forest. In non-league play, Elon will travel to East Carolina, Georgia Southern, High Point, UNCG and Wake Forest.
Elon begins CAA play at James Madison on Friday, March 23. Along with the Dukes, the Phoenix will travel to league mates Delaware, Northeastern and UNCW. Home CAA contests will be played against College of Charleston, Hofstra, Towson and William & Mary.
The 2018 schedule is as follows:
Penn State
Feb. 16-18 • Latham Park
• Three-game series at Elon to open the season
• Elon is 4-0 against the Nittany Lions
• Went 18-37 a year ago, including 4-19 in the Big Ten
• Head coach Rob Cooper is in his fifth season with at Penn State
Radford
Feb. 20 • Latham Park
• Elon is 11-7 all-time against the Highlanders
• The Highlanders went 27-32 overall in 2017
• Radford won the 2017 Big South Tournament and advanced to the Louisville Regional
• Joe Raccuia is in his 11th season as Radford’s head coach
Kansas State
Feb. 21 • Latham Park
• Elon won the only other meeting with the Wildcats in 2013
• K-State was 29-26 overall and went 8-16 in Big 12 play a year ago
• Head coach Brad Hill is in his 15th season leading the program
Marshall
Feb. 23-25 • Latham Park
• The series between the Phoenix and Thundering Herd will mark the first contests between the two programs
• Marshall posted a 25-29 record last year, including a mark of 12-18 in Conference USA
• Jeff Waggoner, the 2016 C-USA Coach of the Year, is in his 12th season leading the Marshall squad
Liberty
Feb. 28 • Latham Park
• This year’s game will mark the 30th between Elon and Liberty; Elon is 11-18 in the previous 29 contests
• Elon and Liberty met each season from 1998-2003 when the maroon and gold was a member of the Big South Conference
• The Flames posted a 32-23 overall record and a 16-8 mark in Big South play last year
• Liberty is guided by second-year skipper Scott Jackson
Georgia Southern
March 2-4 • Statesboro, Ga.
• Elon is 24-23 all-time against Georgia Southern after a three-game series at Latham Park last year
• The Eagles a member of the Sun Belt Conference, went 38-21 overall and 18-12 in conference play in 2017
• Rodney Hennon is in his 19th season as the program’s head coach and has led the Eagles to six NCAA Regional appearances
UNCG
March 7 • Latham Park / March 13 • Greensboro, N.C.
• Elon and UNCG have met every season since 1999, including 11 seasons when the Phoenix and Spartans were Southern Conference rivals
• Elon is 35-18 all-time against UNCG following two meetings last year
• The Spartans went 36-24 overall and advanced to the Clemson Regional in 2017
• UNCG is led by the 2016 SoCon Coach of the Year, Link Jarrett; Jarrett is in his sixth season leading the Spartans
Appalachian State
March 9-11 • Latham Park
• Elon and Appalachian State will meet for the first time since 2016; the two played every year from 2003-14
• The maroon and gold boasts a 65-16 all-time mark against the Mountaineers
• Last year, Appalachian State went 19-36 overall and 8-22 in Sun Belt Conference action
• Head coach Kermit Smith is in his second year with the Mountaineers
East Carolina
March 14 • Greenville, N.C. / April 11 • Latham Park
• Elon and ECU will meet for the fourth consecutive season and 12th year in the last 13
• Elon is 31-47-1 all-time against the Pirates
• ECU went 32-28 overall and 7-17 in American Athletic Conference play in 2017
• Head coach Cliff Godwin is in his fourth season leading the Pirates
Rider
March 16-18 • Latham Park
• The three-game series between Elon and Rider will mark the first contests between the two programs
• The Broncs went 24-28-1 overall and 12-12 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play in 2017
• Barry Davis will guide the Rider program for the 14th season this year
Maryland
March 21 • Latham Park
• Elon squares off with Maryland for the first time since a two-game set in 2015
• The Phoenix is 6-8 all-time against the Terps with all 14 games being played at Elon
• Maryland advanced to the 2017 Winston-Salem Regional and finished the year with a 38-23 overall record (15-9 in the Big Ten)
• After five years as an assistant at Maryland, Rob Vaughn will serve as the program’s head coach in 2017
James Madison
March 23-25 • Harrisonburg, Va.
• For the first time in its CAA tenure, Elon will open league play on the road
• Including an 8-1 mark in CAA play, Elon is 9-2 all-time against the Dukes
• JMU finished 2017 with a 24-27 overall record and a 7-17 league mark
• Head coach Marlin Ikenberry is in his third season with JMU
Wake Forest
March 27 • Winston-Salem, N.C. / May 2 • Latham Park
• Elon is 36-59 all-time against the Demon Deacons
• The two sides have met in each of the last 16 seasons
• Wake Forest advanced to Super Regional play last year and wrapped up the season with a 43-20 oveall record (19-11 in ACC play)
• Now in his ninth season with Wake Forest, head coach Tom Walter has led three different programs to NCAA Division I postseason play
College of Charleston
March 30-April 1 • Latham Park
• Former Southern Conference rivals, Elon is 20-31 all-time against the Cougars
• The two have played 12 times over the past three seasons
• The Cougars went 28-31 overall and 13-11 in CAA play in 2017
• Former South Carolina head coach Chad Holbrook took the reins of the CofC program prior to this season
High Point
April 3 • High Point, N.C. / April 24 • Latham Park
• Elon has played High Point more than any other opponent; The maroon and gold has won 125 of the 211 all-time meetings
• This will be the 25th consecutive season that Elon has met the Panthers
• HPU went 30-23 overall and 12-11 in Big South Conference play in 2017
• Head coach Craig Cozart is in his 10th season at HPU
Northeastern
April 6-8 • Brookline, Mass.
• The Phoenix is 6-4 all-time against Northeastern after winning two of the three meetings at Latham Park last year
• The Huskies won the CAA regular season title in 2017 with a 29-25 overall record and a 16-7 league mark
• Northeastern is led by former MLB pitcher Mike Glavine who is in his third season as head coach
Hofstra
April 13-15 • Latham Park
• The Phoenix has gone 5-4 in nine all-time meetings against the Pride
• Hofstra ended the 2017 season with an overall record of 14-37 and a CAA mark of 7-17
• John Russo is now in his seventh season as Hofstra’s head coach
Campbell
April 17 • Latham Park
• Elon and North Carolina have met 50 times with the maroon and gold holding a 29-21 edge in the series
• The two programs have met in three of the past four seasons
• The Camels posted a 25-32 overall record and a 10-14 mark in the Big South in 2017
• Head coach Justin Haire is in his fourth season as head coach after spending seven years as an assistant with the program
North Carolina A&T
April 18 • Latham Park
• Elon has dominated the series with the Aggies, going 48-7-1 in the 56 meetings
• The two last met in 2016, but have played in four of the past six seasons
• The Aggies went 28-25 overall and 15-9 in MEAC action in 2017
• Head coach Ben Hall is in his fourth season guiding the A&T program
Hartford
April 20-22 • Latham Park
• This series will mark the first meeting between Elon and Hartford
• The Hawks went 20-30 in 2017, including a mark of 8-13 in America East action
• Justin Blood is in his eighth season guiding the Hartford program
UNCW
April 27-29 • Wilmington, N.C.
• The Phoenix has posted a 27-36 record against UNCW
• The two programs have played at least once a year since 1998
• The Seahawks finished second in the CAA in 2017, going 30-29 overall and 16-8 in conference play
• Now in his 27th season at the helm of the Seahawk program is Mark Scalf
Delaware
May 4-6 • Newark, Del.
• The maroon and gold is 7-8 all-time against Delaware
• Delaware finished the 2017 season with a 34-23 overall record and a 15-9 CAA mark
• The Blue Hens won the CAA Tournament and advanced to NCAA Regional action
• UD alum Jim Sherman is in his 17th season at Delaware
Towson
May 11-13 • Latham Park
• Elon is 12-3 all-time against Towson
• The Phoenix has won seven of the nine meetings since joining the CAA
• Including a CAA mark of 6-18, Towson compiled a 20-34 record in 2017
• Matt Tyner took over as the Towson head coach prior to this season after spending four years as an assistant at Richmond
William & Mary
May 17-19 • Latham Park
• Elon will close the regular season with a home set with the Tribe
• Elon is 9-11 in 20 all-time meetings with William & Mary
• The Tribe went 32-25 overall and 15-8 in CAA action a year ago
• Head coach Brian Murphy is in his fourth season leading W&M
CAA Tournament
May 23-26 • Harrisonburg, Va.
• The 2018 CAA Tournament moves from Wilmington, N.C., to Harrisonburg, Va.
• The tournament features the top six teams in the league standings
• Elon has qualified for the CAA Tournament in each of its first three seasons as a conference member
2018 Elon Baseball Schedule
